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Michigan State Quickly Hires Jonathan Smith its 27th Head Coach

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics | By Tom Harvey | Last updated 11/25/23

Michigan State Names its 27th Head Coach

Michigan State named former Oregon State Head Coach Jonathan Smith their next head coach. Smith will be the 27th head coach in Spartans history, replacing the previously fired Mel Tucker and interim coach Harlon Barnett. The Spartans finished this season with a miserable 4-8 record.

Athletic Director Alan Haller notified the previous staff of their release earlier today.

Who is the New Michigan State HC Jonathan Smith?

Smith is the former head coach for the Oregon State Beavers. At his alma mater, Smith went 34-35 during his time in Corvallis. The Beavers finished the 2023 regular season 8-4.

He is a former QB coach at several stops, most notably at Boise State and Washington.

As a player, he was a four year starter at Quarterback, where he won the Fiesta Bowl MVP in 2021. He played with WRs Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmandzadeh during his playing days

How Does This Affect Michigan State?

Smith will bring in a hard nosed mentality with a winning culture. Over his time at Oregon State, had three consecutive winning seasons, with a 10-3 high mark in 2022.

How Does This Affect Oregon State?

The effect will really depend on who Oregon State hires as their next head coach. As always with coaching changes, players can be lost through the transfer portal.

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This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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